Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2008, KM# 261, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States, Hamburg
  • 2 Euro 2008, KM# 261, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States, Hamburg
Description

The Federal Republic of Germany has 16 states (German: Bundesländer). Since 2006, Germany issues every year a Bundesländer coin for a specific state that has that’s year’s presidency of the Bundesrat.

Hamburg, officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and 8th largest city in the European Union with a population of over 1.8 million. It is surrounded by Schleswig-Holstein to the north and Lower Saxony to the south.

The official name reflects Hamburg's history as a member of the medieval Hanseatic League and a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. Before the 1871 Unification of Germany, it was a fully sovereign city state, and before 1919 formed a civic republic headed constitutionally by a class of hereditary grand burghers or Hanseaten.

The Stuttgart State Mint (F) unintentionally released 600,000 Mule Coins in 2008, featuring the "Old" Europe Map on the reverse side instead of the intended "New" Europe Map. These coins were part of a series issued by the Mint. Recognizing the mistake, the mint rectified the error and subsequently issued the remaining 9,000,000 coins with the correct reverse design.

Obverse

Depicts St. Michael's Church. Date above, country and state names below. Mintmark (A for Berlin, D for Munich, F for Stuttgart, G for Karlsruhe, J for Hamburg) on top and engraver's privy mark on the right.

St. Michael's Church (Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis) is one of Hamburg's five Lutheran main churches (Hauptkirchen) and the most famous church in the city. St. Michaelis is a landmark of the city and it is considered to be one of the finest Hanseatic Protestant baroque churches. The church was purposely built Protestant unlike many other Hamburg churches which were originally built by Roman Catholics and were converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. It is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. A large bronze statue, standing above the portal of the church shows the archangel conquering the devil. The 132-meter high Baroque spire totally covered with copper is a prominent feature of Hamburg’s skyline and has always been a landfall mark for ships sailing up the river Elbe.

Engraver: Erich Ott

2008
F
OE
HAMBURG
BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND

Reverse

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the right side of the coin. The inscription 2 EURO is superimposed over the map of Europe, with the numeral “2” located in an open field representing the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

12 stars are located on the right side of the outer ring, with six stars atop the map of Europe and six stars below it; six vertical stripes cut across the inner core of the coin, visually connecting the upper and lower star segments.

Luc Luycx, a designer at the Royal Belgian Mint, designed the Euro’s common reverse; his initials, LL, are seen on the right side of the design, just under the “O” in “EURO.”

2 EURO
LL

Edge

UNITY AND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM in German, Germany's national motto and the beginning of Germany's national anthem, followed by the Federal Eagle

EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT

2 Euro

KM# 261 Schön# 262 Jaeger# 534
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Bi-Metallic
Ring Cupronickel
Center Nickel Brass
Weight 8.5 g
Diameter 25.75 mm
Thickness 2.2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Alt # KM# 261A
Mints
Bavarian Central Mint (D)
Berlin State Mint (A)
Hamburg Mint (J)
Karlsruhe State Mint (G)
Stuttgart State Mint (F)

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